Stacking the Shelves (180)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

From Publisher

Three very different, but equally enticing books arrived for me in the mail this week! Mmmm, just look at the cover of that Jaci Burton book! I can't wait to read these!

From OTSP Secret Sister

My last package came from my OTSP Secret Sister and I love it! I've had a blast sending and receiving packages these last six months. Thanks for being such an amazing secret sister, Angie! 

That's it for me! What all did you add to your shelves this week? 

Book Review: The Score by Elle Kennedy

The Score (Off-Campus #3)

By Elle Kennedy

Release Date: January 11, 2016

Source: Amazon

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

He knows how to score, on and off the ice 

Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she's going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di-Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands. 

It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over 

Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.

I feel like I want to start off every review for a book by Elle Kennedy complaining about how amazing Elle Kennedy's books are. Seriously. A.Maze.Ing. I fell in love with Garrett's story in The Deal and have only fallen more and more in love with my hockey men with each passing book. 

Dean Di-Laurentis is a lady's man and isn't at all ashamed of his title. He's been with all kinds of girls and loves every one of them, but after one wild night with his best friend's girlfriend's best friend Allie Hayes, Dean finds his mind wandering back to her. Allie is a relationship kind of girl and is trying to stay strong after breaking up with her boyfriend. A one night stand with Dean is the last thing she had wanted to have, but the more Dean pursues her after their crazy night together, the harder Allie finds it to resist. But can she really have a no strings attached fling with someone like Dean? 

Ummmm, can we take a moment to talk about how freaking addicting Dean Di-Laurentis is? Unlike the first two books in this series, Dean goes through something pretty emotional and hits a personal low. I mean, there was real emotion in this that I didn't find in the first two books and it absolutely broke my heart. I loved how cocky and self-assured Dean was, even when he was freaked out about how much he was feeling for Allie. He literally couldn't get Allie out of his mind and while he wasn't sure how to feel about being hung up on a girl for once, he went all out and did everything to have another night with Allie. While it started out purely physical, I loved how they started to actually talk and become friends. 

In The Mistake, I wasn't the biggest fan of Grace, the main girl of the book, but I freaking loved Allie's character in The Score. She was so real with herself and could totally handle a guy like Dean. Her devotion to her dad was sweet and I admired the way she dealt with Dean when he hit that low point in his life. It was fun to see her wild side when she was with Dean and the laugh out loud moments they had together. Oh my gosh, and Dean was freaking hilarious at some points. I actually had my sister read parts that I was laughing at because they were too funny not to share. 

If you're a fan of new adult and haven't read this series yet, what are you doing with your life?!? Elle Kennedy creates delicious men, headstrong girls, and some insane chemistry that flies off the pages. I am already dying for another book and I've read two in the past two months. I need more hockey men in my life!

Waiting on Wednesday (227)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

Defending Taylor 

By Miranda Kenneally 

Release Date: July 1, 2016

Captain of the soccer team, president of the Debate Club, contender for valedictorian: Taylor’s always pushed herself to be perfect. After all, that’s what is expected of a senator’s daughter. But one impulsive decision—one lie to cover for her boyfriend—and Taylor’s kicked out of private school. Everything she’s worked so hard for is gone, and now she’s starting over at Hundred Oaks High.

Soccer has always been Taylor’s escape from the pressures of school and family, but it’s hard to fit in and play on a team that used to be her rival. The only person who seems to understand all that she’s going through is her older brother’s best friend, Ezra. Taylor’s had a crush on him for as long as she can remember. But it’s hard to trust after having been betrayed. Will Taylor repeat her past mistakes or can she score a fresh start?

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I have been a die hard fan of Miranda Kenenealy's Hundred Oaks series since book one and I get more and more excited for each new book to be released. When I recently saw the cover for her upcoming release, I freaked because it's a soccer book! She hasn't had a soccer one yet and this one sounds so so so good! I mean, she falls for her older brother's best friend, whose name is Ezra. July can't come soon enough! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books On My Amazon Wishlist

This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week bloggers share a list of books for the prompt given. So hopefully I'll have a new list to share with you all each week!

This Week's Topic: Top Ten Books on My Amazon Wishlist

I am so lucky that I have some self control when it comes to buying books that I want. If I bought all of the books I desired on Amazon, I would be in so much debt, haha. But, instead of giving in, I add books to my Amazon wish list and longingly stare at them…so here are the top ten books that I am dying to buy but am resisting at the moment.

1. You by Caroline Kepnes

2. Blue Notes by Carrie Lofty

3. With a Twist by Staci Hart

4. Joyride by Anna Banks

5. Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire

6. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

7. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green 

8. Five Ways to Fall by KA Tucker

9. Chasing River by KA Tucker

10. The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson

Book Review: First & Then by Emma Mills

First & Then

By Emma Mills

Release Date: October 13, 2015

Source: Gift

Goodreads | Amazon 

Devon Tennyson wouldn't change a thing. She's happy watching Friday night games from the bleachers, silently crushing on best friend Cas, and blissfully ignoring the future after high school. But the universe has other plans. It delivers Devon's cousin Foster, an unrepentant social outlier with a surprising talent for football, and the obnoxiously superior and maddeningly attractive star running back, Ezra, right where she doesn't want them first into her P.E. class and then into every other aspect of her life.

Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights in this contemporary novel about falling in love with the unexpected boy, with a new brother, and with yourself.

I am a sucker for an adorable YA contemporary, and this book has adorable written all over. Throw in the fact that this one is described as Pride and Prejudice meets Friday Night Lights, and I knew I had to have this book in my life. 

Devon Tennyson has a life she's pretty content with, until her life is turned upside down when her cousin Foster comes to live with them. Foster has the socially awkward little brother part down to a T, which means Devon wants nothing to do with him at school or at home. When Foster shows some surprising skills at football in gym class, he's recruited for the football team and is befriended by their all-star running back Ezra. Ezra is quiet and most people think he's a jerk, but the more Devon starts to spend with him as she supports Foster in his new found social role, the more she sees beneath Ezra's rough exterior. 

When I first started this book, I wasn't a fan of how Devon was in love with her guy best friend. That's a tired old cliche that is found in way too many books. What's refreshing about this one, though, is that Devon wasn't exactly obsessing over him, she would just hurt when he was with other girls. That means, though, that she could focus her attention more and more on the dark and brooding Ezra (Mr. Darcy, anyone?) and get closer to him thanks to her cousin Foster. I thought Foster was such a quirky and fun character and I loved how much he changed Devon. He let her see that being different was okay and that you really shouldn't judge people. 

As a huge Jane Austen fan, I loved every single Jane Austen reference in this book. Devon often compared her life to Jane's heroines and I totally got what Devon talked about. As for the comparison to Friday Night Lights, it was lacking in the awesomeness that is Tim Riggins and Matt Saracen, but I enjoyed Ezra's character and how important football became to them all. Foster was adorable as the kicker and it was great to see his character actually want something and be good at something after this unfair past. As great of a person that Foster was, he deserved a family who loved him. 

Overall, this book was filled with quirky romance and quirky characters that were lovable and heartwarming. The Jane Austen references were spot on and the small town football story provided the perfect background for Devon's growth in her life and in her relationship with others. If you want a quirky and adorable book full of unforgettable characters, you should definitely check out First & Then.

Book Review: Midnight Captive by Elle Kennedy

Midnight Captive (Killer Instincts #6)

By Elle Kennedy

Release Date: June 2, 2015

Source: Publisher
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Former CIA agent Bailey Jones has spent months trying to forget her night of passion with mercenary Sean Reilly. An elite and methodical assassin, she has no room in her life for a reckless, rule-breaking Irishman, and she’s vowed to steer clear of the tempting bad boy who lured her into his bed under false pretenses.

When Sean is implicated in the robbery of a Dublin bank, Bailey knows something isn’t right. So what if she can’t trust him? There’s no way Sean would end up on the wrong side of the law. In fact, he’s stuck in the middle of a dark and dirty conspiracy that could put his twin brother’s life at risk with one wrong move. And Bailey’s life too when she agrees to help.

As the stakes are raised and Bailey finds herself torn between two brothers, the fine line between danger and desire is crossed…and it’ll take more than a killer instinct to survive.

Freaking Elle Kennedy. Seriously. No matter what genre she writes in, she knows how to turn up the heat and create some pretty intense chemistry. Throw in some crazy action, hot assassins, and Irish mobsters, and I sure am not complaining! 

Elite assassin Bailey Jones has done everything she can to forget her one hot night with Sean Reilly, especially after he tried to pretend to be his twin brother to get together with her. Try as she might, though, Bailey can't stop how hot and bothered she gets just thinking about Sean. So when Bailey figures out that Sean is part of a bank robbery in Ireland, Bailey knows something is up and drops everything to go help him. Sean doesn't want Bailey's help, though, especially if it means putting her in danger. Too bad Bailey isn't the kind of girl who needs protecting…

First off, I loved Bailey's character so much. As a female assassin, she's got to have some backbone, and Bailey was definitely not the damsel in distress kind of girl. Bailey can take care of herself and will do anything to protect those she cares about. I loved how useful she was to Sean and how much she actually helped to get him out of trouble. It was fun to see how impressed they were with each other's under cover skill and how they really started to like each other more and more for reasons that went beyond their undeniable chemistry. 

Of course, it wouldn't be interesting without some animosity between our two main characters. Bailey tried so hard to push Sean away, but how can anyone resist someone as tempting as Sean? It was so sad when Sean would push Bailey's buttons because she was hurting him on purpose, too. Ugh! Just be with each other! It's what you both want! So while they were frustrating, it just made you want them to get together that much more. 

If you can't tell, I loved Sean and Bailey's story not only for the passion but for the action as well. There were some heart pumping moments and I definitely didn't know how they were going to get out of each mess they got themselves into. Every romantic suspense fan has to check out Elle Kennedy's Killer Instincts series. With hot assassins and seriously sizzling chemistry, you definitely won't be able to put them down!

Stacking the Shelves (179)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share what books they got throughout the week!

Bought Myself

I couldn't resist ordering these two online a couple of weeks ago for only $4 each. They both have received fantastic reviews and the summaries sounded too good to resist. I'm so excited to get into them! 

That's it for me! What all did you add to your shelves this week? 

Book Review + Giveaway: Love in Lowercase by Francesc Miralles

Love in Lowercase

By Francesc Miralles

Release Date: January 26, 2016

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

An internationally bestselling romantic comedy for fans of The Rosie Project, about a language-loving bachelor and the cat that opens his eyes to life’s little pleasures

When Samuel, a lonely linguistics lecturer, wakes up on New Year’s Day, he is convinced that the year ahead will bring nothing more than passive verbs and un-italicized moments—until an unexpected visitor slips into his Barcelona apartment and refuses to leave. The appearance of Mishima, a stray, brindle-furred cat, leads Samuel from the comforts of his favorite books, foreign films, and classical music to places he’s never been (next door) and to people he might never have met (his neighbor Titus, with whom he’s never exchanged a word). Even better, Mishima leads him back to the mysterious Gabriela, whom he thought he’d lost long before.

In the spirit of The Solitude of Prime Numbers and The Guest Cat, Love in Lowercase is a charming and uplifting novel about how one man, thanks to a persistent cat-turned-catalyst, awakens to the importance of the little things in life—and discovers that sometimes love is hiding in the smallest characters. 

When I saw the cover of this book, I just couldn't resist. Described as a romantic comedy that involves a cat, how could I say no? Sadly, I just could not get into this book and found my mind often wandering instead of becoming invested in the story. 

Samuel is a lonely lecturer who has lived on his own and doesn't really have anyone in his life. But the moment Mishima, a stray cat, sneaks his way into his apartment, Samuel has ventured more out his usual ways and crossed paths with some unusual, yet extraordinary people. 

Um, I've got to say that I'm pretty confused on how this was a romantic comedy. I found nothing romantic or comedic about this story. As a linguist lecturer, Samuel was into philosophy and other things that did not interest me and didn't make complete sense to me either. At many parts, I found myself skimming over chapters (each chapter was only 2-3 pages long) because I just didn't care about the rambling on about nonsense. 

As for the romance, it was definitely lacking. Samuel kind of had a thing for the veterinarian but he also wanted something to happen between him and Gabriela, who he had met when he was 6 and only recently run into again. He was just awkward and the relationships he had didn't make that much sense. My favorite character was Mishima, the cat, and I feel like we barely got to see him! With not very interesting characters and pretty much zero romance, this book lost all of my interest. 

If you can't tell, this one was definitely a miss for me. Maybe something was lost in the translation (this was translated from Spanish, I believe), but I did not find anything cute or romantic or funny about this story. While the potential was there, Love in Lowercase did not deliver.

Giveaway

While this book wasn't my cup of tea, you might love it! I have one copy of Love in Lowercase to giveaway. All you have to do is enter the rafflecopter below! US ONLY Ends 1/27

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour + Review: First Touch by Laurelin Paige

First Touch (First and Last #1)

By Laurelin Paige 

Release Date: December 29, 2015

Source: Publisher

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven't spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what's more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that lead her to the enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must seduce Reeve to learn his secrets and discover the whereabouts of her friend. But as she finds herself more entangled with him, she finds she's drawn to Reeve for more than just his connection to Amber, despite her growing fear that he may be the enemy. When she's forced to choose where her loyalty lies, how will she decide between saving Amber and saving her heart?

Going into this one, I didn't really expect much except for some serious heat. Well, I definitely got some serious heat but there was also some pretty intense mystery and heart pumping moments. As a sucker for a good action romance, I was pulled into this one from page one and couldn't put it down until the end. 

Emily Wayborn hasn't spoken to her ex-best friend Amber in years, so when she hears their safe word on a message on her mother's message machine, Emily knows that Amber is in danger. Emily is determined to find out what happened to Amber and her investigations lead her to one dangerous man and the last man Amber was known to have been with before her disappearance: Billionaire Reeve Sallis. Emily has to find a way into Reeve's life and goes back into her old ways to seduce her way in. As Emily earns Reeve's trust, she learns just how dangerous, yet oh so addicting, Reeve Sallis really is. 

Holy moly, this book. I don't know what I loved more, the mystery or the romance, because both had me equally freaking out. The chemistry between Emily and Reeve was through the roof and I was DYING for them to just get together already. For me, I wanted them to get together much sooner than they actually did, but when they got together, it was so worth the wait! I wasn't hugely into how dominant and overpowering Reeve was, but that was a huge part of his character, so I was okay with it for the story's sake. 

The mystery, though, was freaking me out the entire time. Did Reeve really have something to do with Amber's disappearance? Did he have something to do with the death of an earlier ex-girlfriends? Was he going to kill Emily? Was Emily going to be caught snooping? Oh my gosh, and that ending! As soon as I finished the book, I had to tell my sister EVERYTHING that happened and how mad I was that I had to wait for the second book (which doesn't release until June 2016) after an ending like that. SERIOUSLY. Just be warned, this book is great but ends on a cliffhanger that will leave you freaking out and demanding for more. 

I've got to say, this book was a pleasant surprise and I am already wanting more. There was some intense chemistry, insane passion, and dangerous mystery, which means that there is something for everyone. If you're like me and haven't heard of Laurelin Paige before, you are missing out and NEED to pick up First Touch!

Waiting on Wednesday (226)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

Chasing Spring 

By RS Grey 

Release Date: February 1, 2016

I thought I’d left Blackwater, Texas behind for good. I didn’t belong in the small town, but my dad wouldn’t listen. He dragged me back home in his beat-up truck and dropped a bomb along the way: Chase Matthews was moving in with us. He was the golden boy of my high school, my former best friend, and the last person I wanted sleeping across the hall. His presence was too great a reminder of the ghosts I was trying to forget.

I didn’t ask for a hero. I don’t want to be saved. 

To me, Lilah Calloway meant late nights sneakin’ out, moonlit hair, and sparklers in July. She was my best friend until the day she left and I’d assumed Blackwater had seen the last of her. Then, like a tempest, she rolled back into town for the final half of senior year. The chopped hair and dark devil-may-care attitude warned most people away, but I knew if I fought hard enough, I could find the lost girl.

I didn’t want to be her hero. Some girls don’t need to be saved.

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I've only recently become an RS Grey fan, but if this book is going to be anything like Scoring Wilder, I am going to absolutely love this book. I am so so so excited for this book. I mean, her old guy best friend is going to be moving in with the main character and her father. Lilah sounds like such an interesting character and I can't wait to watch them fall for each other while living across the hall from each other. It's going to be so good! And, look at how gorgeous that cover is. Not to shabby! 

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I've Recently Added to My TBR List

This is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where each week bloggers share a list of books for the prompt given. So hopefully I'll have a new list to share with you all each week!

This Week's Topic: Top Ten Books I've Recently Added to My TBR List

1. Remembrance by Meg Cabot

2. I'm Glad About You by Theresa Rebeck

3. Disarm by June Gray

4. Sweet Home by Tillie Cole

5. Spanish Lessons by Jessica Peterson

6. Autofocus by Lauren Gibaldi

7. The Square Root of Summer by Harriet Reuter Hapgood

8. F*ck Love by Tarryn Fisher

9. Chasing Spring by RS Grey 

10. #nerd by Cambria Hebert